The Internet Hates Razers Outrageous AI Companion, But For All The Wrong Reasons
The Internet Hates Razers Outrageous AI Companion, But For All The Wrong Reasons
Razer’s Project AVA AI companion has attracted plenty of ire online following its big reveal at CES 2026.
From the usual mind-in-the-gutter mockery to “all AI is rubbish” commentary, Project AVA has already been reduced to a laughingstock and a sideshow that only represents how far we’ve fallen.
These knee-jerk reactions are typical for this type of tech, and while notentirelywrong, they actually miss the problem, which is far likely to stop Project AVA specifically from taking AI companions closer to mainstream acceptance.
What is Project AVA?
Desktop AI companion
Gaming company Razer has never been afraid to experiment outside its bread-and-butter line of gaming laptops, PCs, and accessories. See the Razer smartphones and long-forgotten Razer Nabu smartband for evidence.
Project AVA is an AI companion.
It takes smart assistants like Alexa to the next level by giving the AI a virtual body and face, which is then projected onto a 5.5-inch “holographic” display inside a cylindrical case made to sit on your desk.
A camera is used for eye tracking, expression recognition, and personalized interaction.
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Project AVA will also use the camera to watch you play games, offer advice, cheer you on, and generally be your gaming copilot.
Outside the (somewhat loose) gaming link, Project AVA will take care of the usual AI assistant tasks, such as translation and organization features, and provide real-time conversation so you can talk through everyday life, work, and other subjects.
Isn’t it a bit weird and/or creepy?
Yes, but also no
The Razer Project AVA is described as an AI companion and, at the moment, appears to come with a small selection of avatars, including generic gamer girl and gamer guy, along with eSports celebrity Faker, and, unexpectedly,
“>▶ عرض المحتوى المضمّنA good, and highly amusing example of what people generally seem to think of the unusual device comes from
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That’s the saddest *** I’ve seen in my ****ing life, man. My heart breaks for someone who purchases this and relies on this kind of interaction. It’s designed to keep you inside forever and away from human beings.
His thoughts are echoed in the comments section on Razer’s video.
It’s a typical online reaction to such a device, as are the many tired digitalwaifureferences, and while not entirely wrong, it ignores AVA’s main redeeming feature in 2026, which is that it’s not yet another rinse-and-repeat summary/organization/translation AI tool.
It’s going down the sci-fi companionship road, and I much prefer this direction to anything else.
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Not the first of its kind
Meet the original and best AI companion
My affinity for Project AVA comes from meeting its spiritual predecessor, called Gatebox, and entirely falling for the concept. I “met” Azuma Hikari in 2019 in Japan, when I interviewed Gatebox CEO Takechi Minori about the creation of what was, at the time, a pioneering AI device.
Gatebox essentially does the same as Razer’s Project AVA, just without the gaming stuff, and Hikari is the name of the character that lives inside it.
Most reactions at the time were similar to now, and I recall asking Takechi about the stigma of using an AI companion.
He recognized it and likened living with Hikari to having a pet that you talk to and interact with, and a source of companionship and joy.
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Thought of like this, an AI companion can make sense.
personally, such devices always make me think back to when I was young and first saw Star Wars.
I looked at Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 and thought how cool it would be to have a robot companion one day.
At the moment, robots are expensive and impractical, and nothing like R2-D2.
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AI companions in handy desktop enclosures are much accessible and come close to replicating the sci-fi dream.
This is quite apart from the fact that, like it or not, AI companions can help those who live alone or suffer from social anxiety.
The issue isn’t what it’s used for; it’s something else
One, major problem
Gatebox never really made it out of Japan, and although there are other examples of the technology, such as the Dipal D1 and AI HoloBox, Razer’s Project AVA is the highest profile version we’ve seen in a while.
While I appreciate the concept and like the idea of living with an AI character, Project AVA struggles in one key area: voices.
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In the demo video, it’s clear that I could never listen to the character’s voices for long. The accent grates, the language used makes me cringe, and it doesn’t “sound” like someone I’d ever spend much time with.
Getting the voice right is even important than the visuals.
Gatebox’s Hikari was voiced by Japanese voice actor
“>▶ عرض المحتوى المضمّنRazer seems to have used AI to generate its character voices, and they suffer because of it.
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Will Faker lend his voice to his avatar? Will Sao do the same with hers?
It’s not clear at the moment, but even if they do, Razer would be very wise to get a professional to voice at least one of its avatars, and look back to the original AI companion to better understand that if we’re going to connect with one long-term, it’s going to be by voice, and not by looks.
It was also frustrating to see that Project AVA currently uses xAI’s Grok LLM, a deeply problematic platform. It will only harm the product’s reputation, even before it’s officially released.
Thankfully, the FAQ mentions that Project AVA will support other AI platforms. I hope to see this implemented prior to release.
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When will it be released?
Not long to go
Project AVA won’t be for everyone, and not everyone will get past the silliness of such a product or be able to avoid mocking it, either.
However, when looked at with a open mind, products like Project AVA not only have uses in society but are also a far fun and engaging use of AI than yet another memory-aid tool on a smartphone.
Razer hasn’t announced how much Project AVA will cost when it eventually goes on sale towards the end of 2026, but it can be reserved for $20 now if you’re really keen.
No, it’s not R2-D2 or an English-speaking Gatebox, but provided the voices are dramatically improved, and Grok disappears, I could see a Project AVA on my desk when the time comes.
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Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2026-01-12 00:31:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com
